<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>An Ascent Without Glory Prologue: The Fountainhead Of Days Gone By by the_best_otaku</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23308903">An Ascent Without Glory Prologue: The Fountainhead Of Days Gone By</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_best_otaku/pseuds/the_best_otaku'>the_best_otaku</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, 進撃の巨人 | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:54:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23308903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_best_otaku/pseuds/the_best_otaku</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger wakes up in something of a daze, from a mysterious dream filled with dancing young girls. Hauled into The Wastes by Commander Smith and Lance Corporal Levi, they happen upon a bout of uncharted ruins. In search of a mysterious alabaster grave, Eren can’t help his own curiosity; saved by Hanji’s expositive nature, the secrets of the past are revealed to him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>An Ascent Without Glory Prologue: The Fountainhead Of Days Gone By</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/19378390">An Ascent Without Glory: Swansilhilde’s Song</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_best_otaku/pseuds/the_best_otaku">the_best_otaku</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I....forgot to write the prologue of a story....that was literally based around the plot of the prologue. I don’t even have an excuse I’m just an idiot apparently. ANYWAY I’ll add retroactive notes to the main body of work. If you’re seeing this for the first time this is the prologue to this work: An Ascent Without Glory: Swansilhilde’s Song. (The work has to be complete for AO3 to accept it as part of a series) There isn’t a whole lot of Eren in it, so this is like the first and last time.</p><p>I considered putting the title in German like the chapters, but this is a lot easier huehuehue<br/>If anybody gets the reference in the dream btw it’s from a Princess Anastasia book I read as a kid. Apparently she “predicted” her own death and told her mother while on holiday that they’d never be returning to their ancestral home. Which btw props to that mom for not punting her spooky kid off the face of the Earth cause I. Would.</p><p>I ALMOST implied Eren is Swannie reborn, but then I remembered Carla is actively pregnant during my fic so perhaps not. (Am I implying Marco is descended from Carolingians? Absolutely yes. Is Armin’s book critique me criticizing myself? You know it is.)</p><p>EDIT: I forgot to quantify The Wastes so I did it now..</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eren’s eyes snapped open suddenly; his arm was thrown over his face, and the crook of it had hooked his button-nose. He’d been having the strangest dream, of berry-coloured gowns twirling about a ballroom. Eren hadn’t been sure, in his dream-like state, if he’d even been standing on two legs (let alone if anybody in the ballroom could even see him). He’d simply been watching, as though some kind of silent peeper, as a grand party unfolded. It had been fuzzy around the edges, blurred, like some kind of foggy haze had descended upon the room. Everybody’s motions were drawn out and melded together as though paint was running over a grand canvas. He’d been staring, albeit in confusion, at four gracefully twirling girls. The tallest one, the long-haired one, had sauntered up to him and smiled. It seemed somebody had spotted poor Eren after all, and he could make out two sharp eyes on her blurry face. In fact, Eren had never felt quite so “seen” in his life; he rapidly began to suspect this was a nightmare.</p><p>“We’ll never be able to come back here, you know.” She’d said sadly, but her smile had remained fixed onto her face “I get the feeling by next year, we won’t be returning at all, actually.” Her voice had been distant, distorted, and overall menacing.</p><p>Eren had then jolted awake with something of a start, and bumped his forehead squarely into the bottom of Jean’s bunk.</p><p>“Jaeger...” came Jean Kirchstein’s irritated grumble, but he’d soon enough rolled back over and gone to sleep.</p><p>Eren was lying in his cot, his arm still thrown over his eyes; what had that sinister dream reminded him of? As a little boy he’d once fallen asleep under a tree, and plagued by terrible visions, he’d been jolted awake teary eyed and confused. Now, like then, he gazed over at Armin Arlert (who was currently asleep) and felt some reassurance. Eren sometimes labored to remember what that dream had been of, but his efforts were all in vain.</p><p>“We’ll never be able to come back here.” He murmured into his forearm.</p><p>Fortunately for Eren the rest of the day was quite normal, and although he was somewhat spacey at breakfast time he’d pulled himself together by lunch. With aching joints and stiffened muscles, the usual bunch of trainees had filed into the military courtyard to enjoy a brief rest. Eren had been walking alongside a quarrelling Armin and Jean, who were going back and forth about nothing particularly important. He could spot Mikasa in the distance, sitting on a pile of logs with a towel around her neck; she was talking to Annie, whose usually bored expression betrayed a glimmer of confusion.</p><p>“Mikasa,” breathed Eren, jogging away from the insufferable Jean and his constant yammering “Haven’t seen you all morning.”</p><p>Mikasa looked up at Eren, straightening up slightly “Ah,” she sighed “I saw you at breakfast but Reiner was talking your ear off. Annie dragged me off to training early anyway.”</p><p>Eren gave Annie a friendly nod, but she barely did anything to acknowledge it.</p><p>“Good morning.” She said, curtly, clearly not caring it was the middle of the day.</p><p>“Well, well,” came Jean’s voice behind Eren “What’ve we got here huh?” He looked around smugly “Couple a lovely ladies?”</p><p>Annie, clearly having had enough, got up off the ground and dusted herself off. “Well, I have to go make sure Reiner doesn’t try to bench press Bertholdt again so...see ya.”</p><p>She’d stopped to say hi to Armin, eyeing him longer than usual with her usual icy stare, and walked squarely away.</p><p>“What’s eating her?” Jean muttered.</p><p>“Maybe it’s your smell.” Mikasa said bluntly, drawing a chortle out of Armin.</p><p>“And just what are you laughing at short stack?” Jean retorted in Armin’s general direction, turning red to the tips of his ears “Like yer any less sweaty.”</p><p>Eren hooked his arm in Armin’s “Well,” he began with a smile “At least Armin doesn’t have horse-smell.”</p><p>The following scuffle had led to Mikasa making quick work of Jean Kirchstein, and to Armin being knocked into a pile of logs. From across the yard Ymir Fritz, ever the rough houser, had spotted the kerfuffle and decided to join in. Eren and Jean had been pulled apart as usual, and Jean had left with a worried Marco Bodt.</p><p>“How am I supposed to explain this to Captain Hange?” Marco had grumbled at Jean “You know she said if you keep fighting like this she’s going to leave you outside the walls...”</p><p>“Aw man,” Ymir had laughed wildly “Haven’t had a fight like that in ages- we ought to do this more often.”</p><p>Armin, thoroughly annoyed at being dragged between Eren and Jean (and having been used as something of a human shield) had eyed Mikasa suspiciously. </p><p>“You didn’t have to pin him like that,” he’d told her, although he was half smiling “I would have been fine.”</p><p>“Not a question of being fine or not,” Mikasa had retorted smartly “Question of Jean learning his place.”</p><p>“Ooh,” Ymir had murmured from behind them “Real spooky, Mikasa.”</p><p>The now-thoroughly bruised group of Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Ymir entered the mess hall, where lunch was well underway. They spied a mostly empty bench from across the room, it’s occupants the very tolerable Sasha and Connie. Plopping themselves down on the bench, they watched Sasha and Connie argue over a card match (wherein it was very clear to the table at large that Sasha had cheated).</p><p>“Nu uh!” Sasha had squealed, when Connie had put her in a headlock.</p><p>“You’ve won every match for the last three days! How are you cheating?” He’d laughed.</p><p>Sasha’s elbow had knocked Ymir’s bowl of soup, prompting a grumble. “You two done?” She asked irritably “Get a room why don’t you?”</p><p>“You’d like that wouldn’t ya?” Sasha had winked “You can give my spot to that little gal pal of yers- Christa!”</p><p>“I’m going to gauge your eyes out with my spoon, Braus.”</p><p>Despite the great commotion in the dining hall, Eren’s thoughts kept flitting back to that horrible dream of his. He scanned the dining hall at large, as if he himself would soon be plucked from the happy scene and disappear like the girl in his dream. At one end of the room Marco was holding an ice pack on Jean’s shoulder, as Jean stared daggers into his soup. There was Christa, an apron thrown half heartedly on one shoulder as she spoke to the cook. Elsewhere the usual trio of Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt sat isolated at the far end of a table, talking conspiratorially as they usually did. Bertholdt met Eren’s eyes for a moment and smiled, but was soon distracted by Reiner trying to pluck a potato off his plate. Indeed, everything felt normal; or at least as normal as an army of teenagers could feel. Eren sighed and looked up at the high aluminum ceiling. The air was stiflingly hot in the tin hut, and the summer seemed to be getting more brutally unforgiving every day. Eren had once heard a rumour that mankind had had access to some kind of sea, at one point or another. How he longed for relief from the heat. </p><p>“A super big body of water.” One of his cousins had told him “It was like, part of the walls. But I dunno that’s what my dad says; Mom says it’s just a story, but Dad swears he saw somebody from there once. She was like, named after a bird, isn’t that so weird?”</p><p>Eren sighed again, letting his eyes wander over the cadets having lunch. His eyes lingered over Armin, who was absentmindedly reading a little book. Ymir was gazing over his shoulder as though she were reading, but she kept eyeing Armin’s extra bread roll instead. Mikasa had surreptitiously leaned over suddenly, and her breath was hot on Eren’s ear.</p><p>“What are you thinking about?” She asked “You keep sighing like girl.”</p><p>Eren turned to face her, Mikasa’s eyes were twinkling slightly like she was amused at her own comment.</p><p>“I uh, had a dream.” He confessed “Like, a weird one. I was at a party, with girls,” he felt himself blush “Like not our age girls- just uh, I don’t know...girls.” He admitted sheepishly.</p><p>“Right,” Mikasa said, lifting one delicately arched brow “That sounds like something you should talk to Armin about.”</p><p>Eren rolled his eyes “It wasn’t like one of those dreams, ok?” He ran a nervous hand through his hair “There were kids, and then this one really tall girl said something super creepy to me. It was like she...was looking right at me...like she wasn’t really part of the dream.” He tapped his fingers on the table “Like you know how in dreams people talk ‘at’ you? She was definitely, clearly talking to me; she said she wouldn’t be around for very much longer.”</p><p>Eren was gazing into Mikasa’s dark eyes desperately, as though she had some kind of remedy for his confusion. She was chewing, slowly, and staring at him like she     was watching a monkey in a cage. Eren felt stripped, as he often did under Mikasa’s piercing gaze, and could feel himself growing even more tense.</p><p>“I sound crazy right? You’re gonna tell me I sound insane.” He asked with a chuckle.</p><p>“No.” murmured Mikasa and then she sighed “I had a really weird dream once here, too. I dreamt I was in a field and there was this big, clear blue sky above me. I was sitting next to a girl in a..” she waved her hand around “Felt dress or something? I remember it was green. She said something like ‘look at the sky Mikasa, any minute now the Survey Corps is going to come whizzing by’ but she had some kind of weird accent.” Mikasa shrugged, spearing another potato with her fork “And then I woke up. Poof. Gone. It really felt like she was talking to me, she even said my name, but it’s just a dream.”</p><p>Eren waited a moment, as though Mikasa would suddenly have a revelation, and then sighed “Maybe the boys’ bunk is haunted huh?”</p><p>Mikasa snorted “By who? A couple of baby princesses? Doubt it. I think it’s all the stress- and the damn heat. You could pressure cook me like this lousy corned beef.”</p><p>Eren wanted to seriously consider the possibility of a ghost, but Armin’s shout of protest as Ymir swiped his buttered roll had cut him short. That night, Eren had returned to the little log pile in the yard and perched himself there like a bird. </p><p>“It’s really weird,” he’d told Mikasa before she’d gone to bed “It’s like I’ve had that dream before- as a kid.”</p><p>Mikasa had sighed in turn “I think you’re stressing about the future. ‘Won’t be here next year?’ That definitely sounds...topical.”</p><p>So here he was, staring absentmindedly at the boot he was polishing. Somewhere in the distance somebody was cutting more wood, God knows why, and Eren was concentrated on the occasional ‘thwack’ of an axe. He almost didn’t notice Moblit Berner closing the gap between them in long strides.</p><p>“Cadet Jaeger.” Came his boisterous cry “Good evening lad.”</p><p>Eren immediately sprang up and saluted, feeling embarrassed to be caught so idly.</p><p>“Vice Captain Berner!” Came Eren’s reply.</p><p>“Settle down then,” sighed Moblit “I’ve only come to deliver a message. You’re to meet Captain Hange tomorrow mornin’ with a handful of others. We have a bit of a nasty business to get squared away, then.”</p><p>Eren took a small letter from the Vice Captain, and bowed graciously. “Sir, yes sir.” He said seriously.</p><p>“As you were then,” Moblit continued casually “Back I go, it’s awfully muggy out tonight. Dunno how you can hang about out here cadet,” he gazed up at the moon “Star gazing are ye?”</p><p>Eren cleared his throat “Something like that...just polishin’ my boots.”</p><p>Moblit nodded politely “Good lad! Good night, then.”</p><p>Eren bowed once more and watched Moblit walk off amid the now familiar thwacking of the distant axe. Sleep was futile that night as well, as Eren had simply stared in wonderment at the bottom of Jean’s bunk. Where could they possibly have been going? The letter had sworn him to secrecy, and Eren cast his guilty eyes on Armin’s sleeping form. He wanted so badly to tell him what was going on, but barely had a grasp of what “it” was himself. When Eren finally went to sleep he dreamt of clear azure skies, bunk bed ghosts, and Mikasa in a strange green taffeta dress.</p><p>In the morning he was even more shocked to find Armin, Mikasa, Marco and Jean at the rendezvous point; they were assembled among Vice Captain Moblit Berner, Commander Erwin Smith, Lance Corporal Levi and Captain Zoe Hange. There was a great commotion, as some cadets were loading supplies to and from a horse drawn cart.</p><p>Eren saluted politely “Commander,” he began “Good morning.”</p><p>Commander Smith smiled “Good morning to you, cadet. I apologize for the vague nature of my note, we have a bit of a...particular expedition today.”</p><p>Eren met eyes with a huffy Jean for a moment; he wanted to ask why he was even allowed near such a touchy expedition. Levi interrupted suddenly, he was holding a list and checking things off.</p><p>“That’s everything Commander,” he said at once “All set then.”</p><p>Commander Smith nodded “So we are, Captain Hange if you will?”</p><p>Hange Zoe had emerged from behind Moblit, she was talking enthusiastically in Eren’s general direction, but she seemed rather off kilter today. She was clearly excited about something, and kept pointing feverishly to Levi’s list of...whatever his list comprised of, anyway. Eren’s eyes stayed locked on hers, as he recognized the glittering fervour that overtook them when Zoe Hange talked about titans.</p><p>“We’ll probably see a few then, out there in The Wastes.” she went on excitedly, jamming a lid on a large wooden crate “Pity to kill them all- I reckon they got a different variety of titans the farther out you go.”</p><p>Moblit was avoiding eye contact, talking to an unenthused Levi who was bent over an open crate.</p><p>“The Wastes?” Eren had whispered to Armin, a tinge of alarm in his voice.</p><p>Armin winked at him “It’s the area outside our jurisdiction,” he explained smoothly “It’s too far out to be reliably safe so we don’t scout it; I have no idea why we’re going all the way out there- could take a couple days. Whatever we’re doing today, it’s gotta be important.”</p><p>Eren hummed thoughtfully, and tried to ignore the twisting and unfurling of his upset stomach.</p><p>“Right then,” Hange sighed at last “Vice Captain, take the men by horse and we’ll meet you at base camp. We’ll be sleeping outside the Walls lads- chin up then Kirchstein,” she said in the direction of a very pale Jean “Like we haven’t done this before.”</p><p>Levi sauntered past with Moblit in tow, and gave Eren a bit of a look before shuffling by. The Commander was leading the group farther along the Wall, and the rolling hills in the distance could be seen bathed in the first rays of dawn. Eren had made stride with Armin, as Mikasa was walking importantly ahead. No doubt worrying about something or other, as usual.</p><p>“Here I was feelin’ sorry I couldn’t tell you.” Eren chuckled.</p><p>“The feeling is mutual.” Murmured Armin with a smile “I got up before the sunrise like they said, when I saw you sleeping I was so sure you weren’t invited.”</p><p>Eren looked up at the clouds “Ah, I guess I slept a little late today. I keep tossing and turning at night.”</p><p>“Hm,” Armin hummed “I bet Jean’s horse energy is keeping you riled up at night.”</p><p>The two snickered and heard Jean cough irritably behind them; he was caught in Hange’s gravitational pull, and she was chattering excitedly.</p><p>“Quite the strategist,” Armin murmured, his eyes flitting behind him for a moment “She’s so creepy when she gets like that, right? Like she’s going to kidnap a titan and take it home with us.”</p><p>Eren scowled “I don’t understand the fascination with those disgusting freaks of nature. The sooner we exterminate the titans, the better.”</p><p>Armin smiled at him “Ok Mr Altruist, I’m sorry I said anything.”</p><p>Eren was notably more incensed now, “You think it can’t be done Arlert?”</p><p>“It can,” came Armin’s sigh as he scratched his chin “But I’m afraid we won’t see it in this lifetime. You can interpret that however you want, but sometimes I get the feeling-“</p><p>“We won’t be here for very much longer?” Eren asked incredulously.</p><p>“What?” Asked Armin, eyeing him like he was insane “No, I was going to say I get the feeling time will pass us by and we’ll be- useless or something. What if we get maimed? Or betrayed? Or killed, or...something? It doesn’t feel like I’m prepared for that, as a sixteen year old.” Armin had said the end of his sentence with a strong “duh”-like connotation.</p><p>Armin had clearly given very much thought into how he thought life would shake out. Eren and Mikasa, fueled by their co-dependent blind ambition, seldom thought to ponder the nature of the titans. Wrapped up in the thrill of vengeance, Eren had effectively insulated himself from critical thinking. As he peered at his very best friend, golden hair shining in the sunlight and blue eyes brimming with hope, Eren felt somewhat estranged. He certainly wasn’t a philosophical creature, as it turned out, and sometimes he was jealous of Mikasa and Armin’s great ability to prophesize. Eren wondered suddenly if his dream was a subconscious prediction of how the grand play of life would work out. Eren Jaeger: here today and gone next year- now that had a pathetic ring to it.</p><p>The troup had made quite a bit of headway, zipping by and occasionally catching Moblit and some others on horseback, before they retired for the night. A grand fire had been made, and there in a little wooden cabin the bunch had had a small meal of rations and beans. Jean had returned to his usual preferred hobby of harassing Eren, and Armin had watched idly reading from the same book as the day previous. Mikasa had retired inside, complaining she was exhausted, and now there was only Moblit, Hange and the boys.</p><p>“What are you reading there cadet?” Moblit had asked Armin suddenly, he was enjoying black coffee in a little tin cup.</p><p>“Ah,” Armin replied, itching the back of his neck “The Swan Princess. I found it the other day in the barracks, didn’t think it belonged to anyone, Vice Captain.”</p><p>Moblit simply shrugged “Lots of things become lost in the barracks my boy, not much to do about it.”</p><p>“Swan Princess?” Came Jean’s voice, he was brushing one of the horses tied to a fence post “Isn’t that...for girls?”</p><p>Armin frowned “It’s an interesting story Kirschstein. Lots of political intrigue, missing princesses, beautiful illustrations. This one seems quite old too, it was stuffed between a bedpost and the wall. Must have been there for years.”</p><p>Jean sighed “I don’t know man, I don’t have time to be reading books at a time like this.”</p><p>Marco, who had been decimating Eren at craps, piped up. Without looking at Jean he smiled wildly “You’ve got time to think about girls, Kirchstein, and you got time to worry about me all day long.”</p><p>Eren snorted “I think he means he doesn’t have the attention span to do anything but run his mouth.”</p><p>Jean rolled his eyes “At least I’m not a literal psychopath- do you ever worry about anything other than titans Jaeger?”</p><p>Eren shot daggers from his eyes, and was drawn away from the conversation by Marco once again crushing him.</p><p>“Learnt it from Sasha,” he chuckled “You owe me your buttered roll tomorrow at breakfast.”</p><p>“That’s cold.” Sighed Eren.</p><p>“Hey,” shrugged Marco “Butter’s a hot commodity- right Captain?”</p><p>Hange, seated by the fire and enthusiastically polishing her 3DM, simply smiled.</p><p>“Ah butter,” she smiled wickedly “Reserved mainly for the rich and famous. Sometimes they screw up and ship us these heaping crates of the stuff; I hear they preserve it in dirt-filled barrels.”</p><p>Eren and Marco looked at each other; “Don’t tell the Lance Corporal.” Murmured Marco.</p><p>“The Swan Princess then,” came Moblit’s thoughtful voice “Go on cadet, what’s it like so far?”</p><p>Armin shrugged “S’not so bad I supposed Vice Captain; seems gratuitous sometimes, like the author had too much time on their hands and is writing old timey for no good reason. It’s like, who are you trying to impress exactly? Why is this story so put upon, I doubt many people have even read it.”</p><p>Jean sat on a log behind Armin and plopped his hand on his shoulder “Some authors are like that I guess. You guys ever hear the story about the forgotten fourth wall? That’s my kind of story- apparently they worshipped some fringe cult.”</p><p>“The Goddess of Love,” Hange interjected excitedly “A Goddess by the name of Filomena.”</p><p>Everybody was staring dumbly at her, as though she’d come up with the answer to the universe’s most difficult question.</p><p>“Uh, yes actually,” came Armin’s stunned reply “That’s how the legend goes; who could forget a whole kingdom, though? I find that part unbelievable.”</p><p>Marco shrugged, searching his pockets for a coin to bet Eren “Maybe it was really small.”</p><p>Armin snorted “We’d have lost an entire wall- apparently the place was utopian. They had a whole fleet of armoured citizens to defend them.”</p><p>“Ah,” came Moblit’s reply “The Star something? It’s amazing how that silly story gets around these days. I had a great aunt, rest her soul, who was convinced the place was real, you know. She kept talking about their descendants, living in Sina with weird accents and tremendous height.”</p><p>“Well that could be anybody couldn’t it?” Asked Eren, frowning with his effort to beat Marco in cards “Like, Marco is tall, doesn’t mean he’s descended from anybody special.”</p><p>“Hey.” Came Marco’s wounded reply.</p><p>“‘Spose not.” Hanji admitted, still smiling conspiratorially “But I like to believe the whole thing is real; it’s a bit like the Swan Princess isn’t it? All that dastardly political rivalry, and then poof! Whole kingdom wiped off the map, just like that!” She snapped her fingers “It’s enough to make you want to cry.”</p><p>Jean shrugged “I heard the people were these big, pale folk with coloured eyes and weird food. You’d think somebody who stood around the sea all day would get a tan, right?”</p><p>“Oh yeah,” came Eren’s incredulous reply “Cause that’s what was so unbelievable right, Jean?”</p><p>The night had progressed uneventfully enough, and as Eren was poking the final embers of the fire out of place he’d allowed his gaze to wander. There was a single candle in an open window, on the very top floor of the cabin. He could see Mikasa folding linens on her bed, laying them out carefully for the next day. Her delicate profile was soft in the candlelight, and Eren allowed his eyes to linger for a second longer on her beautiful face. For a moment he wondered if Mikasa would have liked The Swan Princess story, but immediately remembered Mikasa would have no interest in something so girly. He heaved another sigh (Eren was doing entirely too much of that these days) and turned to gaze into the woods. He suddenly remembered his strange dream, and too spooked to continue staring into complete blackness, he made his way inside the cabin.</p><p>The next day the sun was the harshest it had been in ages, and the poor fleet was being absolutely roasted in the heat. Eren cursed Jean and Armin, who had been instructed to stay at the cabin with Moblit.</p><p>“Buck up cadets,” an unusually relaxed Moblit had said over breakfast “We’re going to tackle the dusting today.”</p><p>“About time.” Levi’s deadpan response had come.</p><p>Now Levi was shouting at Eren and Mikasa, obviously eager to continue journeying into the unknown.</p><p>“Keep up brats!” He’d cried, whizzing by a distracted Eren and nearly taking his whole head off “Time’s of the essence!”</p><p>Eren had been becoming increasingly worried as they’d journeyed past the woods, by a scorched lake bed and finally into the middle of...well...nowhere. The grass had overgrown, and looked like a green sea where wild rabbits ran to and fro. There was barely any tree cover here, but countless stumps which had sprouted leaves; as though they’d been levelled long ago. The Earth was tainted a strange silvery color, and every quarter mile some ruin or great limestone rock poked out of the dirt like a blemish. Eren felt like he was sitting on the surface of a mirror, or like an ant which was being fried by a magnifying glass. At last the strange ruins became more frequent, and Eren could make out something like half structures obscured by silt, sand and lush grass. They’d come to a strange ring, wherein rings upon rings of surrounding half walls surrounded it; in the center, a great pillar as tall as Wall Sina. Eren’s eyes widened as the group circled the great pillar like hawks; he was staring at the great cream stone, eroded by rain and wind, as though standing at the foot of a great spire. The sun was beaming on the ruins of some grand foundation, and Eren wondered what exactly he was looking at upon that blasted heath. Marco whizzed by, and the light which bounced off his shining hair stunned Eren into submission. He landed on a nearby tree branch, and watched Marco’s graceful form flying through the air, as though he belonged among the glittering plateau.</p><p>“Aim for the spire!” Came the Commander’s booming voice, and Eren launched himself off the branch in turn.</p><p>He landed with a thud behind Mikasa, who straightened up immediately and looked around with a bit of confusion. </p><p>“What are we doing here?” She murmured to Eren suddenly.</p><p>“No clue,” he murmured back, walking past her. He could feel Mikasa’s eyes on his back as they came to the center of the great pillar. It must have been big enough to hold an entire crowd, like a strange and ancient balcony.</p><p>“What is all this?” Marco asked gently, peering around the ruins like he was wholeheartedly lost.</p><p>“A relic of an ancient time,” Hange replied with an obvious smile in her voice “A time before you youngins anyway.”</p><p>“Lance Corporal, if you please.” Erwin said, motioning to a pile of white-stone rubble.</p><p>“On three then.” Instructed Levi, and he and the Commander began to heave the great slabs to one side.</p><p>Marco let out a noise first, clearly affected by what the group saw. Beside him, Mikasa brushed the back of her hand on Eren’s, and Eren grit his teeth for a moment. The group was standing in the audience of a great alabaster grave.</p><p>“Aye.” Said Hange “So strange it is to meet again, ain’t it?”</p><p>Erwin locked eyes with Marco suddenly “Cadet, help me lift the seal on this thing.”</p><p>“The grave?” Spat Marco, clearly still in shock “Who- is that? In there?”</p><p>Erwin sighed through his nose “Jaeger.” He commanded instead.</p><p>Eren’s legs were shaking with excitement, eager to know what was to come. Grabbing one side of the coffin’s lid, locking eyes with Erwin, they heaved a great groan and sent the lid clattering to the ground.</p><p>“I’m afraid it’s just a hiding place.” Erwin offered, wiping his profusely sweaty brow “A cloak for precious things.”</p><p>Inside the grave, the bones of someone long dead, their mummified flesh clinging sadly to the remaining ligaments. Eren’s mouth hung open for a moment before he composed himself; it was a bit like looking at the kind of cured meat Christa liked to eat. He made a mental note to never ask her for some again.</p><p>“A hiding place?” Asked Marco, locking eyes at once with Mikasa.</p><p>Hange sat on a stone, folding her arms smartly “The secret to defeating the titans.”</p><p>“Maybe.” Breathed Levi, sounding bored “If we can figure out what that thing even does.” He knelt by the coffin for a moment, his face seemed to be fixed on the soulless, dead eyes “You brat, it would be just like you do this.”</p><p>Levi stood up, and reaching into the grave he forced his hand through the dried up arm of the corpse. A dry crackling was heard, like somebody breaking a twig in half, and out of the casket he produced a small vial. It was less than a quarter full with bright pink liquid. Levi was holding it between his thumb and index finger, glaring at it as though it had insulted his entire lineage. Erwin was gazing at it as well, clearly thinking hard about something.</p><p>Marco was gazing into the distance, the sun was making its afternoon descent back to the horizon. “What is this place?” He asked solemnly.</p><p>“Feels familiar then, Bodt?” Levi suddenly asked, gazing up at Marco through his thick lashes. Erwin was also staring at Marco, albeit in curious earnest, as though Marco was about to say something remarkable.</p><p>“I...just want to know who that is. How does a grave get all the way out here like this- in the middle of nowhere?”</p><p>“First you stage a funeral,” Erwin said coldly “And then you move mountains to hide the body.”</p><p>Eren could no longer ignore his heart’s wild beating “Who is this, then? All this elaborate hiding...why?”</p><p>Hange was smiling wilder than ever, eyeing Eren with an excitement that bordered on the ravenous “I’ll tell ya,” she said gesturing to the casket at large “So be a good boy and listen closely...”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>